50 per cent in 300 BE colleges have failed

Chennai: Notwithstanding  Anna University and the state Government’s efforts to make Tamil Nadu stand first in technical education in the country, 50 per cent of students in about 300 engineering colleges have failed to clear the semester exam. Anna University released the academic performance of non-autonomous engineering colleges in the state on Tuesday based on the semester exam in April and November last year. This follows Madras high court’s direction two weeks ago to Anna University to post the rank list on its website.

According to the list, which features 523 non-autonomous engineering colleges, 78 colleges had less than 25 per cent pass percentage in the exam conducted in November-December 2014.Eminent academician Jayaprakash A. Gandhi was of the opinion that school education system should be changed so that only students with analytical skills and logical reasoning join engineering colleges. “We also need to revive common entrance test for engineering colleges so that only deserving students enter the engineering education system.”

An Anna University senior official said the university had changed its curriculum last year, which would enhance quality of technical education.  “We are certain that from next year we will see more number of students scoring good marks as the new curriculum equips them with skills to learn better.”PSG Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, has secured the first rank with 98.33 per cent pass percentage. Of the 299 students who appeared for the semester exam in November last year, 294 passed.

Sri Sairam Engineering College stands second by securing 93.36 pass percentage, 4,535 took the exam and 4,234 cleared the test and Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology bagged the third rank with 92.68 per cent pass percentage. Sai Prakash Leo Muthu, CEO of Sairam Group of Institutions,  said the ranking system based on academic performance would help students select the best college.